Pittsfield Council OKs Berkshire Carousel Committee
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council has voted to create a committee that handles the Berkshire Carousel offer — but not without debate on procedural details.
Last month, a conveyance and donation of the $267,000 property owned by James Shulman came to the council. A 2025 operational model and budget put forward by the donors costs about $61,000 annually and brings in the same amount of money, with a $25,000 income from rides alone if they cost one dollar.
Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren wanted more intel before the committee's first meeting in January, specifically the condition of any state grants received for the project, a reasonable list of operations, and an informal quote for the cost of removal.
"Everybody wants to do this. There's no doubt about it," Warren said. "The issue is whether it's feasible and whether we have a financial wherewithal to do that."
Ultimately, his motion to amend the referral with these conditions did not pass. Councilors agreed that there are a lot of red flags in the contract but trust that they will be addressed in the process.
"I thought I was clear of setting up a committee to figure out how to save the carousel, not who was going to own it, what the contract was," Mayor Peter Marchetti said.
"Because, quite frankly, I'll be blunt, the members of the Finance Committee punted it back to me without saying, 'Here are the conditions that we don't like.'"
Warren thought the committee would assist in negotiations with Shulman, who does not live in the area. He explained, "I don't want to ask the committee. I want us to know and these are things we can find out."
Last week, the finance subcommittee concluded that the offer needs more community input and recommended that a committee be formed to study it. While the Berkshire Carousel opened to enthusiastic fans in 2016, it has not operated since 2018 after leadership and funding fell apart.
The amendment failed with Warren, Councilor at Large Alisa Costa, Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey, and Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi voting in favor.
Kavey argued that the council needs to make an informed decision and the material provided is not enough to do so.
"At this point, there are many non-starters in what is being proposed that a committee is the one way for us to possibly salvage it," Lampiasi said.
Ward 7 Councilor Rhona Serre said these are important questions that she would love to see the committee get answers for but "I don't think sending the mayor in one direction and the committee in the other direction is a good use of our time."
She reminded councilors that when the discussion came to the subcommittee, they were directed to discuss only what was on the agreement: acceptance and operation of the carousel.
"We were not to look at the feasibility study of relocating or building any other buildings or site placement or anything else," she said, explaining that is what she based her decision on.
"I'm hoping the community can rally behind this. I'm hoping this process brings out some solutions from members of the community to have a quasi-public solution come forward where everything is done."
"I think these are important questions," Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso said. "And I think if any of us have questions or concerns when the mayor forms this committee we should contact them and be engaged and involved."
She finds most of Shulman's terms are not advantageous for the city and would like to see almost all stipulations taken out if the city were to take it over. The demands also don't sit well with Serre and other councilors who see many red flags.
According to the agreement, the city is expected to use its best reasonable efforts to operate a carousel on the site for at least 25 years, with times and dates of operation left to its discretion.
The donation agreement entails that the city should "fully insure the carousel, maintain it in good and warrantable cosmetic, structural, and operational condition; comply with all legal and licensure requirements for ownership and operation of the carousel and facility; except as provided herein never break up, transfer or sell any figures or parts, including without limitation spare figures, or sell the carousel as a whole; and use its best reasonable efforts to preserve the carousel artwork on the figures, rounding boards, and panels in accordance with the wishes of the sponsors for these items."
Shulman wants the property maintained as a permanent, small park named "Shulman Family Park," even if the carousel is relocated, and in recognition of the volunteers and sponsors who helped create the carousel, its building would be named "The Berkshire Carousel Pavilion."
Councilor at Large Earl Persip III pointed out that constituents say they don't want to spend tax dollars on the carousel, not that it shouldn't exist.
"There's a lot of non-starters and there's a ton of red flags but let's have all the information all at once, all in one place so we can actually make a decision that we think the community wants," he said.
"Let's hear community input."
He added that Shulman's terms as they stand today are an "automatic no" but could change.
Warren also has concerns about the ride's location, asserting "It cannot work there, and we're wasting people's time but like I said, it's not my time so if you guys want to, go ahead but I just don't see that working."
Marchetti said he was "very clear" that there are entities that may be interested in the carousel "and how can we facilitate that so it's not a City of Pittsfield entity."
"Maybe we run it for two years and then we transfer the property with that opportunity and the current agreements there," he said.
"So it was both from the negotiation standpoint but it was also from coming up with a solution so that we, as a collective group, save the carousel without impacting city taxpayer dollars."
During open microphone, one of the carousel's carvers Philip O'Rourke said the volunteers are confident they can fund operating expenses and pointed out that the ride could also draw birthday parties, wedding photos, and corporate sponsorships.
"The carousel was built at no cost to the city. It was a $3 million project, not counting the thousands of hours of volunteer time over 10 years of building the carousel," he said.
Another resident said the carousel is more than just a bunch of horses going around, as a grant was submitted for a community project that included an art program for children and carving lessons for adults and children.
Tags: ad hoc committee, berkshire carousel,
